Go to www.WildernessGoneWild.com for the full story. H.R. 980 or NREPA is a 24 million acre land grab, sponsored by a New York City Congresswoman. This is complete insanity!

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For Release: April 22, 2009

Contact: Jacob Leis

Phone: 888-987-8721 x3

Obama Administration revives Clinton forest road ban

Federal bureaucrats do end run around grassroots opposition to NREPA

HELENA – Access and productive use of twenty-four million acres of Northwestern federal land is at risk once again, due to a tag-team of Administration rules and the resurrection of the so-called Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA). The bill, sponsored by a New York City congresswoman would criminalize “mechanized travel” – including bicycle riding – on 24% of Idaho, 7 million acres in Montana, and 5 million acres in Wyoming.

Issue advocacy group Western Tradition Partnership has announced a massive grassroots effort to oppose these measures with calls, emails, and faxes to Senators through its website www.WildernessGoneWild.com .

“This is like Night of the Living Dead.” said Jacob Leis, Director of Membership for WTP, “NREPA and the Clinton Roadless Rule have been dead for over a decade, killed by the grassroots, but now they’re back.”

“The Obama Administration’s shameless throwback to the discredited Roadless Wilderness scheme will place our forests in danger, once again, of catastrophic destruction by fire,” said Leis, adding “We are urging the people to call on Senators Baucus and Tester to stop appeasing the eco-extremists, cut the lip service and oppose all Western land grabs.”

Only two of seventy-one original co-sponsors represent districts in the 5 affected states, which include Washington and Oregon.

Leis added, “While only a handful of radical environmentalist groups support H.R. 980 (NREPA), this radical agenda could pass due to the undue influence of East- and West-Coast liberals in Congress.”

“That is why the grassroots are outraged, and why nothing short of a promise of filibuster by Senators Baucus and Tester and other key Western Democrats will put this issue to rest.”

Many of these areas are responsibly used for timber and extractive resources, and also provide rights-of-way for the electric grid, especially for wind-generated power being generated in Montana and transported to market in California. Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming stand to lose tens or hundreds of millions in business and revenue income through lost tourism, and loss of productive value.

“With the continuing bad economic news and more Americans struggling to keep their jobs and small businesses afloat, NREPA is extremely irresponsible,” said Leis. “We estimate that hundreds of businesses and small towns will be devastated when recreationists decide to go elsewhere to enjoy the outdoors.”

Join ATP, Stop Gang Green!

American Tradition Partnership (ATP) is a no-compromise grassroots organization dedicated to fighting the radical environmentalist agenda. We support responsible development of natural resources and rational land use and management policies. Only together can we protect access, private property rights, and affordable energy for all Americans!